The Festival of the Vat was an indispensable and important celebration held every year after the grape harvest. Though Toussaint had begun using mechanical presses long ago, tradition demanded...
From morning onward, in the palace courtyard, hand drums and tambourines continuously beat out a cheerful rhythm, while flutes and harps hummed beautiful melodies. At the center of the stage stood an enormous wine vat, and there were also quite a few acrobats tumbling around it.
The courtyard and corridors were packed with spectators, nobles, knights, courtiers, merchants, common folk, and also the Phantom Troupe.
Dressed in relaxed, casual clothing, Victor still kept his steel sword at his waist. Standing beside him as companions and explaining the customs were still his old friends, Milton and Palmerin.
As for Angoulême, relying on the fact that she was a girl and naturally familiar with everyone, she had managed to slip into the best seats on the viewing platform and was currently whispering with a newly met court lady-in-waiting.
After some time, the ceremony began. Chamberlain Sebastian Le Goff first paid his respects to Duchess Anna and Fringilla on the viewing platform, then turned around and raised a staff wrapped with vines, knocking it against the ground three times.
"Ho, ho!" he shouted. "Noble lords and ladies, knights, countrymen!"
"Ho, ho!" the crowd answered.
"Ho, ho! This is an ancient tradition! Let the vines grow strong! Ho, ho! Let the grapes ripen in the sun!"
"Ho, ho! Let them ripen!"
"Ho, ho! Let them ferment! Let them draw strength and flavor from the barrel! Let them become fine wine! Let the fine wine flow into our cups, and then let us raise those cups to our duchess, to beautiful ladies, to valiant knights, and to hardworking winemakers!"
"Ho, ho! Cheers!" Mixed among the crowd, Victor shouted along with everyone else, fully experiencing the joy of the festival.
Then Sebastian raised his voice. "Let the fair maidens come forward!"
From the brocade tent on the other side of the courtyard emerged two women. From afar, both were fair-skinned beauties with blond hair and blue eyes. They wrapped their bodies in bright red long cloaks, but when the witcher focused his extraordinary vision on one of them, even Victor, who had seen plenty of beautiful women, was shaken by how stunning she was.
Her three-dimensional, harmonious features were merely the foundation. What was truly remarkable was the strange charm in the depths of her eyes, both proud and gentle, with a faint trace of worldly sorrow hidden within innocent purity.
Noticing Victor's gaze, Milton beside him chuckled and said, "You noticed her too! That fair maiden is Vivienne de Tabris, recognized as the most beautiful noblewoman among the court's personal attendants."
Hearing the name clearly, Victor suddenly understood. So it was her, the leading lady of a certain side quest chain. No wonder she possessed such moving beauty. Back in the game, the Toussaint adventure was once jokingly said to have two great regrets. The first regret was that Duchess Anarietta could not be romanced, and the second was that Vivienne de Tabris could not be romanced.
"Now, let the young men come forward!" Sebastian continued the process in the courtyard.
The "young men" he spoke of were two handsome and sturdy lads who had already been waiting nearby. Upon hearing the call, they immediately jogged into the field.
At this moment, the two fair maidens removed their cloaks, including Vivienne de Tabris, and thunderous cheers immediately erupted from the crowd. Victor also swallowed slightly.
Ignoring the other one outright, the witcher activated his extraordinary vision and focused on Vivienne! She wore a sleeveless white shirt, the fabric as thin as spiderweb and only long enough to reach her waist. On her lower body she wore lace underwear, and apart from that, she had not a single scrap of clothing on, nor any adornments. She stood barefoot and poised, her snow-white toes visible.
Bang! The two young lads crashed into each other, because both of them were reaching their arms out toward Vivienne de Tabris. This scene was obviously not part of the arrangement.
"What is that fool trying to do!" Palmerin shook the inch or so of gray hair that had just grown back on his head and scolded under his breath with frustration.
Milton could not help laughing and explained quietly, "That blond lad is Guillaume de Launfal, Palmerin's own nephew. It seems he has fallen in love. He should have gone to hold the other one!"
If only the man's name had been present, Victor might not have remembered, but because Vivienne was also here, realization dawned on him at once. He felt as though he were witnessing history. So Guillaume de Launfal had become Vivienne de Tabris's devoted admirer, and the client of that side quest, today.
The small interlude quickly passed. With pleading eyes, Guillaume moved his partner and won the right to extend his arm to Vivienne. The two young men carried the two fair maidens to the enormous vat.
Guillaume supported Vivienne, while Partner A assisted Fair Maiden A. With the men's help, they stood straight inside the vat. The crowd cheered.
"Ho, ho!"
Vivienne and Fair Maiden A placed their hands on each other's shoulders and stood face to face so they could keep their balance amid the pile of grapes that rose past their knees.
Then, amid the cheers and music, the two women began dancing and stomping in the vat, spinning and laughing like children, pressing fresh grape juice with their healthy, fair calves and even half their thighs.
Watching the purple juice splash wildly onto the thin shirts until they almost became a second layer of skin, with the fully immersive three-dimensional effect pushed to the maximum, Victor solemnly declared through the dignity of extraordinary vision that whoever came up with this ritual was a damn genius!
"Ho, ho!" the crowd shouted. "Let them ferment!"
As they danced, the grape juice soon submerged the area around the two women's calves and began to bubble.
After some time, the chamberlain knocked his staff against the ground again. The music and drumbeats stopped. Guillaume and Partner A stepped forward to help the two fair maidens leave the vat. Their bodies were almost entirely dyed a vivid purple.
Once again, whoever came up with this ritual was a damn genius!
Victor also noticed that when Partner A lifted Fair Maiden A in his arms, she gently bit the man's ear, her eyes flashing with dangerous light. He guessed that the two of them would have some romantic activities in the garden afterward.
On the other side, Vivienne made no intimate move toward Guillaume, but Guillaume had already conquered himself and fallen unilaterally into love. He was being such a complete gentleman that he did not even know where to put his eyes.
Finally, the two fair maidens returned to the viewing platform and wrapped themselves once more in bright red cloaks. Half the crowd let out a regretful sigh at the same time, though no one knew whether they were lamenting the end of the ritual or something else.
"Ancient tradition, precious values," Milton said with emotion, stroking his beard. "Worth passing down from generation to generation, wouldn't you say?"
"Without question." Victor's expression returned to its firm and solemn state.
Palmerin, however, pressed a hand to his forehead. "Wait, what is that fool trying to do now?"
The ceremony had ended, but Palmerin's blond nephew did not leave immediately. Instead, he returned beside the vat, to the center of the courtyard, planted his hands on his hips, and shouted at the top of his voice, "I am Guillaume de Launfal! I hereby proclaim that Miss Vivienne de Tabris is the most beautiful woman in the world! If anyone objects, I shall await you on the banks of the Sansretour at cockcrow every day!"
The crowd erupted with earth-shaking cheers. They cheered for this brave knight. They cheered for such reckless courtship! This... was Toussaint's style!
However, Victor could see clearly from afar that such a high-profile declaration of love did not move Vivienne at all. Speaking of which, there were as many people pursuing her as carp crossing the river. A display of this degree was indeed still a great distance away from success. And in the game, without the White Wolf, Geralt, acting as a go-between, Guillaume was destined never to win Vivienne.
Victor rubbed his chin. In any case, it was still early, and no one had asked him to intervene. He could just play it by ear in the future. For the blessing of having been able to admire Vivienne during today's ceremony, he ought to at least give her a happy and satisfying conclusion.
Having made up his mind, the witcher prepared to leave, only for a court lady-in-waiting to suddenly approach. "Sir Victor, Her Grace the Duchess asks you to come speak with her!"
Turning to look toward the viewing platform from afar, he happened to see Anarietta waving at him. Victor could not help feeling a bit of a headache. After all, he had already "selectively lost his memory." If the duchess asked about the "evil beast" again, how was he supposed to brush her off?
...
Taking the handkerchief and wiping away her nosebleed, Mathilda looked at the silent, wooden witcher. "Is life always this painful? Or only when you're a child?"
Looking into the girl's clear eyes, Léon hesitated for a moment. His voice was full of apology. "Always."
Excerpt from Léon: The Witcher, 20XX theatrical version
...
Following the maid into the palace, this was a semi-public meeting. The arrangement was similar to their last meeting, consisting of soldiers standing like statues, footmen, pages, and an uninteresting jester.
The difference was that nearly twenty people were present, including Chamberlain Sebastian, who greatly resembled a confectioner, the indispensable Captain of the Guard Damien de la Tour, knights loyal to the duchess such as Palmerin and Milton, and several regent courtiers wearing gold chains.
In addition, there were also some trusted aides dressed in black. They looked like councillors and judges at the same time. Only later did Victor learn that these people were elite diplomats and administrative advisers stationed in Toussaint by Emperor Emhyr var Emreis of Nilfgaard for his politically naïve little cousin.
Of course, most important of all was still the Honourable Lady, Fringilla Vigo. The sorceress sat beside the duchess, and in the entire room, only she and Anarietta were seated.
Since he was wearing ordinary clothes and no armor, Victor placed a hand over his chest in salute and prepared to respond perfunctorily. However, the duchess did not pursue the matter of the evil beast. Instead, the topic sailed directly toward a place the witcher had never imagined beforehand.
Some time later...
"Oh, oh, oh," Duchess Anna Henrietta sighed, twisting her hands together. "Léon's story is truly heartbreaking, Mr. Victor. Ever since I read Léon: The Witcher, A Chronicle of a Glimmer of Humanity, sorrow has occupied my heart."
She sniffed and held out her hand. Beside her, Vivienne de Tabris, now properly dressed, immediately placed a gauze handkerchief embroidered with initials into her hand. The duchess gently touched the handkerchief to her cheeks to avoid ruining her makeup.
"Oh, oh," she repeated. "Thank you for putting it on the notice board. I have not read such a moving story in a very long time. But according to what you say, you know nothing of Léon's grave or Mathilda's whereabouts either?"
"I am very sorry, Her Enlightened Lady," Victor said with a calm and composed expression. "To my deep regret, I did not know the senior named Léon in the past, and I am not even clear which school he belonged to. Since crossing the Korath Desert, I have only been active for a short time. Even this record of humanity's light was merely something recounted to me by a merchant I met by chance during my travels. I did not witness it myself. I simply believed such deeds should not be buried by history, so I took the liberty of writing them down and posting them on the notice board.
"From that perspective, I admit my original intention was not pure. I held hopes of clarifying things on behalf of our kind! Please believe that, despite a few fallen and unworthy individuals, many more witchers still work diligently... just like me, my senior brother Eskel, and my master Vesemir. We toil like old farmers, laboring earnestly to slay monsters and banish evil."
Listening from the side to Victor's explanation, Angoulême hid herself behind the crowd and took deep breaths, her face twisting as she clenched her teeth. Otherwise, she was afraid that in the next second, her wild laughter would shake the roof tiles.
Anna Henrietta sighed again and once more received a handkerchief from Vivienne.
"I appreciate your honesty and candor, Victor, and I completely understand your impure purpose. In my eyes, such hopes are noble and sincere," she said. "For this reason, I shall inform you in advance that I have already assigned several men of letters to begin searching for materials, striving to complete and supplement this narrative. In this matter, I stand wholeheartedly on your side. And with Mr. Victor's cultivation as the Dragonborn Bard, I believe you would be willing to serve as a consultant and assist the writers I have assigned, so their compilation may restore the truth more faithfully.
"The doors of Beauclair's libraries and bookshops will be open to you. I believe this shall be an intense collision between literature and humanity. Do not act rashly, and do not be impatient. As a consultant, you may remain in the duchy indefinitely."
Hidden in the crowd, Angoulême found it even more painful to hold back her laughter. As the first victim of the Legend of Solid Snake, Tales of the Dragonborn, and Léon: The Witcher, she could fully imagine the way those men of letters would be fooled into a dazed stupor.
"Thank you for your kindness and generosity, Your Grace." Victor bowed. "As an outstanding graduate of Oxenfurt Academy's Department of Philosophy, I would be very willing, during the wintering season, to discuss the details I know with knowledgeable writers."
Victor's reply moved the duchess with certain key words. Unconsciously, she folded her arms across her chest, her right hand rhythmically stroking her left forearm, as though stroking a kitten. Anarietta murmured softly, "To think he is actually 'his' junior..."
After pondering for a moment, she rose from her chair and said with her head held high and her chest lifted, "Hear me! Witcher Victor Corion, Toussaint needs your help. Due to an invasion of giant centipedes, Hortense Vineyard has been closed for a long time. The owner recently announced the forfeiture of his operating rights. Now, I offer those rights as a reward and commission you to clear the monsters from the estate. Are you willing to accept?"
A commission and reward had fallen from the sky. Though Victor was not entirely clear on the details, based solely on Anarietta's friendly gaze and the faint unrest around him, he knew this could not be a bad thing.
So Victor placed a hand over his chest in salute. "Thank you for Her Grace's generosity. I am honored to accept this commission."
The courtiers and knights began whispering among themselves, sounding like a rustling wind blowing through the woods. Duchess Anarietta smiled. "Then, as I still have activities to attend during the festival, the audience shall end here." She gave the witcher one final glance, then left the hall with her companions and attendants.
"Damn," Milton said, approaching. "Truly astonishing. This is a supreme honor, Lord Victor!"
"Don't be so quick to congratulate me. I still haven't quite figured out the situation," Victor said. "I'm an expert at dealing with monsters, but what do the operating rights to a vineyard mean?"
Baron Palmerin touched his short gray hair and explained, "In Toussaint, ordinary vineyards are innumerable and need not be cared about. However, the Sansretour Reverie produced by Hortense Winery once brought its operator the status of a baron. In other words, if you can eliminate those monsters and successfully restore production, then before long, Mr. Victor Corion, you will be addressed as 'my lord.'"
The witcher reached out and rubbed his nose. "Tsk, tsk! So, in other words, this is actually an entry ticket into the nobility, though as a wine noble tied to the winery?"
"Yes, future Baron Corion," the person who answered was none other than Chamberlain Sebastian. At some point, he had quietly approached, his attire sweet and cloying. "A reminder, please prepare your coat of arms for submission as soon as possible. Simply deliver it to the duchy treasurer. In the past, you could serve as a knight errant without an emblem, but as a noble, this is a family necessity."
"Do not treat a wine noble as anything less than a noble. In Toussaint, wine nobles are nobles! Though it is very difficult, if one brews a widely popular sensation, it is possible to rise directly to viscount or even count." Milton lightly knocked Victor's chest with his fist in congratulations.
Just then, another maid approached from the side. She dipped her knees slightly and nodded. "Mr. Victor, please come with me. The Honourable Lady wishes to speak with you alone."
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